Reconnoitering-hydroaeroplane



W. S. BURGESS: RECONNOITERING HYDROAEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. I9II.

Patented July 1919.

W. S. BURGESS.

RECONNOITERING HYDROAEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. l 9lI.

Patented July 22, 191.9.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIGS.

snow Ibo; WI LLIAMSTAIZLING Buaeass.

WILLIAM STARLING BURGESS, OF MARBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CURTISS AEROPLANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RECONNOITERING-I-IYDROAEROPLANE.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed June 6, 1917. Serial No. 178,170.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM STARLING BURGESS, aeitizen of the United States, residing at Marblehead, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reoonnoitering Hydroaeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to aeroplanes of the speed scout or reconnaissance type and is characterized principally by an improved trussing system common to both the landing gear and supporting surfaces. The mm of the invention is to reduce t 1e number of exposed struts and Wires witout correspondingly reducing the strength of the truss. To this end it is proposed to mount the fuselage or body of the craft intermediate the supporting surfaces and toprovlde at opposite sides of the fore and aft axis thereof, beneath said surfaces, separate landing gear devices, 2'. e.,pontoons. Cross arranged struts interconnect the opposed pontoons and the upper supporting surface. These struts may or may not be continuous through the fuselage although they form with diverging outer struts the aforementioned truss. The several struts collectively may be 2 described as V-arranger with the inner legs of the V (the legs forming the cross brace) overlapping. t the intersection of the overlapping struts, and bythe crossed legs, the body is supported.

A further characteristic of the invention is the formation of the wing posts or struts in latticed form with the chords of the latticed beams in engagement with the corresponding Wing beams of the supporting surfaces. Moreover, it is proposed to fasten the V-struts at their respective apices, and also a pontoon brace, to the pontoons by means of sockets common to both said struts and brace. Other features of the invention will be more particularly pointed out.-.

Of the drawings:

Figure'l is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, and

Fig. 4 is a slde elevation of'one of the wing posts or latticedstruts.

In the selected embodiment of the invention, wherein the center of gravity is do- .streamline form in so far as possible.

signated C, G, and the center of pressure, C, P., the fuselage or body 10 is of true The tail end thereof is equipped With the usual vertical stabilizing surface 11, horizontal stabilizing surface 12, vertical rudder 18, and horizontal rudder or rudders 14. The prlncipal supporting surfaces of the craft are designated respectively 15 and 16. In span the upper supporting surface 15 is the greater. Said surface 15 comprises an intermediate panel 17 and outer or overhanging panels 18. These overhanging panels 18 terminate inwardly approximately in the vertical plane of the tips of the lower supporting surface 16 and are foldable, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, that the overall Width of the craft may be decreased. Cords 19 equipped with turnbuckles 19 are provided for holding the overhangs extended. These cords are anchored by any suitable means to the upper surface in the plane of certain of the wing posts or strutsi To release these cords it is but necessary that the turnbuckl parts be taken apart by unscrewing. The lower supporting surface 16 also comprises separate panels 20 and 21, the center panel 20 being supported by and between the .cross arranged struts of the. truss later to be described and the outer panels 21 in continuation of the center panel 20. Beneath them and at opposite sides of the fore and aft axis of the body 10 the landing gear devices or pontoons 21 are disposed. These pontoons are of the conventional hydroplane type in that their bottom surfaces are stepped and constructed throughout the greater portion of their length in hydroplane form.

Longitudinally elongated fittings 22 are fastened to the tops of the pontoons. Each fitting serves as an anchorage for V-struts 23 having their apices appropriately spaced and their legs dlverged to such an extent that the plane of the innermost legs intersect within the confines of the body 10 to support it at said point of intersection. The cross arranged legs of the V-braces 23, and the outer legs as well, interconnect the upper supporting surface 15 and the pontoons although one, two or all of the legs need not necessarily be continuous or uninterrupted frone end to end. The outer legs of the V- strut however in each instance preferably penetrate the lower supporting surface 16 to appropriately brace it. -In other words the truss formed by the \i-braces may be described as a combined wing and landing gear truss. Furthermore, the over-lapping arrangement of the V-braces is such that forward .view from the cockpit is unobstructed.

Each strut (see Fi 4) is of I-form and comprises a latticed beam including in its ensemble the usual chord members 24 and lattice-bars 25. The chord members 24 diverge terminally and engage with the wing beams 26 of the wings or supporting surfaces 15 and 16. That portion of each strut interconnecting the pontoons and the lower supporting surface is fastened at one end to the beams of th lower wing and at its opposite end in the fitting 22 with which it is associated. Wing posts or struts thus constructed are characterized by exceptional strength and rigidity and hence provide for the complete elimination of many of the stays or wires heretofore used.

By supporting the body 10 intermediate the surfaces 15 and 16 substantially the full value of both surfaces is secured. The inner legs of the V-StIUtS being cross arranged with their point of intersection intermediate the wings, .obviously a rigid support for the body intermediate said surfaces and at said pointof intersection is provided. As illustrated, the struts enter the body or fuselage at substantially diametrically opposite points.

For increased lift during flight through the air, the pontoons 21 are interconnected by a cross-brace 28 of true aerofoil form in cross section. The ends of this brace or surface, like the struts 23,are seated in the sockets or fittings 22. Said brace 28,-with the outer legs of the V-strut 23, complete the interconnection of the upper surface ends by way of the lower surface and landing gear. This arrangement of the struts is such that the surfaces are appropriately trussed and the body and pontoons appropriately supported by a minimum number of struts and races. The other features of the machine, such as the disposition of ailerons 29 at the wing tips (corresponding in length to the length of the overhangs 18) the location of the cockpit 3O aft of the plane of the struts 23 the support of the radiator 31 intermediate the body and upper surface of the machine; and the provision of a streamline entry at the forward end of the body 10 are more or less unimportant and form no part of the invention claimed.

Although I have described sonu-what precise forms and details of construction. I do not intend to be understood as limiting myself thereto as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient and without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an. aeroplane, superposed supporting surfaces, a body supported between said surfaces,.landing devices arranged beneath said surfaces, and overlapping V-struts having their apices founded upon said landing devices and their divergent extremities fastened to the upper supporting surface, the outer legs of the V-struts in each instance constituting the outermost strut connections between the superposed supporting surfaces.

2. In an aeroplane, superposed support ing surfaces, a body, landing devices arranged beneath said surfaces symmetrically at opposite sides of the fore and aft axis of said body, and V-arranged struts having their apices founded upon said devices and their divergent extremities fastened to the upper supporting surface, the divergence of said struts being such that the outer legs thereof constitute the outermost strut connections between the superposed supporting surfaces while the axes of the inner legs thereof intersect.

3. In an aeroplane, superposed supporting surfaces, a body supported between said surfaces, landing devices arranged beneath said surfaces symmetrically at opposite sides of the fore and aft axis of said body, and V-arranged struts having their apices founded upon said devices and their diver gent extremities fastened to the upper supporting surface, the divergence of said struts being such that the outer legs thereof constitute the outermost strut connections between the superposed supporting surfaces while the axes of the inner legs thereof intersect within said body.

4:. In an airplane, superposed supporting surfaces, a body, landing devices arranged respectively at opposite sides of th fore and aft axis of the craft, and sul. struts founded respectively up ing devices, each V-strut comp ng a continuously angularly extended inner leg and a continuously angularly extended outer leg, the inner-leg in each instance connecting with the upper supporting surface at a point upon the opposite side of said axis from that of its base end connection and intermediately of its ends connecting with said body, the inner legs together constituting a cross arranged strut, and the outer legs in each instance being sufiicientlyremoved from the fore and aft axis of the craft to constitute the outermost strut connections between the superposed supporting surfaces.

5. In an aeroplane, superposed supporting surfaces, a body supported between said surfaces, landing gear devices arranged before and aft axis of the craft to constitute neath said surfaces at opposite sides of the the outermost strut connections between the fore and aft axis of said body, and an over-' superposed supporting surfaces. 10

lapping V-truss common to the landing gear In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 5 devices, the supporting surfaces and the signature.

body, the outer legs of the V-struts of the truss being suificiently removed from the WILLIAM STARLING BURGESS. 

